1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to fencing and, in particular, to metal fence posts used in conjunction with wood fence boards.
2. Description of the Related Art
Traditionally, wooden fence posts have been used to construct a wooden fence. Wooden fences are very desirable because of the appearance of the fence, especially for residential homes. As illustrated in FIG. 1, a conventional wood fence 8 includes a series of vertically oriented posts 10 which are inserted into a hole in the ground and the hole is then filled with dirt and/or cement. The posts 10 typically have a generally square cross-section with a width and depth of about four inches. The posts 10 are connected by two or more horizontally oriented wooden rails 12. The rails 12 are typically constructed from pieces of wood measuring two inches by four inches in cross section, commonly referred to as two-by-fours. Wooden slats or fence boards 14 are then attached to the 12 rails to create the fence 8.
The wooden fence posts used to construct the fence, however, have a number of disadvantages. For example, wooden fence posts decompose and decay, especially the portion of the post in or near the ground. Additionally, if the posts are set in concrete, there is a danger of breakage because the posts lack resilience about their base. Finally, the wooden fence posts are typically replaced every 5-10 years because of the deterioration and rotting of the wood.
It is known to use galvanized steel pipes in place of conventional wooden fence posts. For example, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,297,890 issued to Conmins, a steel pipe is inserted into the ground and a bracket is attached to the pipe by one or more bolts. The bracket is then connected to a conventional wooden fence rail. Disadvantageously, this system requires a significant amount of time to correctly position and attach the bracket to the pipe, and the system is expensive because it requires brackets and bolts. Additionally, the aesthetics of the fence are compromised because the galvanized pipe protrudes outwardly from the wooden fence and the color of the pipe does not match the color of the fence.
It is also known to directly attach the wooden rails of a typical fence to a galvanized steel pipe. In particular, holes must be drilled or punched through the pipe and the wooden rails are then bolted to the pipe. Disadvantageously, it requires a significant amount of time to drill the holes in the pipe and to attach the fence rails to the pipe. Further, because of the great contrast between the galvanized steel pipe and the wooden fence, the aesthetics of the fence are compromised.
As shown in FIG. 2, a known fence post 16 is constructed from steel and it includes a first flange 18, a second flange 20 and a V-shaped notch 22. One side of a standard fence rail 12 is fastened to the flanges 18, 20 of the post 16 and wooden slats 14 are attached to the other side of the fence rails. Disadvantageously, the V-shaped notch 22 of the fence post 16 protrudes outwardly from the fence line created by the fence rails 12 and slats 14, and this ruins the aesthetics of the fence. In addition, the metal fence posts detract from the appearance of the wooden fence and the outwardly extending V-shaped notch 22 may create a safety hazard.
In order to create an aesthetically pleasing fence, known steel fence posts must be painted to match the color of the wood. For example, if a natural wood fence is desired, the steel posts are painted to match the color of the wood, but this is often very difficult because the wood may have many different colors, patterns and textures. On the other hand, if the fence and steel fence post are painted the same color, after a relatively short period of time the fence posts and fence are different colors because the steel posts and wooden fence components weather and change color at different rates. Further, in order to paint the steel fence posts, an expensive powder or primer coating is often necessary. This adds to the cost of the fence and increases the complexity of manufacturing the fence posts.
Thus, known metal fence posts used with conventional wooden fences compromise the aesthetics of the fence because the metal posts detract from the appearance of the fence. Further, in addition to being difficult to use and costly to install, conventional metal fence posts can only be used in certain configurations.
A need therefore exists for metal posts for use with a wooden fence which are simple to use and easy to install, and which eliminate the above described disadvantages and problems.
One aspect of the present invention is a metal fence post including a center section and two outwardly extending flanges. A series of openings extend vertically along each of the flanges to allow wooden fence rails to be attached. Preferably, the thickness of the sides of the center section is about the same as the thickness of the wooden rails so that the fence posts are in-line with the fence rails. Advantageously, the fence posts allow the fence boards to be attached to either or both sides of the rails, and the fence posts, rails and fence boards are generally aligned.
Another aspect of the present invention is a fence post for an in-line wooden fence. The fence post includes an elongated member with a first end configured to be inserted into the ground and a second end configured to support a wooden fence. The fence post also includes a first flange extending along a first edge of the elongated member, a second flange extending along a second edge of the elongated member, and a center channel positioned between the first flange and the second flange. Preferably the channel has side walls about 1xc2xd inches in length, which is approximately the same as the width of a standard two-by-four. More preferably, the center channel has a generally U-shaped configuration.
Yet another aspect of the invention is a fence post including an elongated member with a first side and a second side which form a front surface. A connecting portion interconnects the first side and the second side, and the connecting portion includes a rear surface. The distance between the front and rear surfaces of the fence post is preferably about 1xc2xd inches to match the width of a standard two-by-four. Thus, when a standard two-by-four is attached to the fence post, the front and rear surfaces of the two-by-four are generally aligned with the front and rear surfaces of the fence post.
Still another aspect of the invention is a fence system including a fence post having a front surface, a rear surface, a first side, a second side and a connecting portion interconnecting the first side and the second side. The fence system also includes a rail having a front surface and a rear surface, the rail preferably having a width of about 1xc2xd inches. The connecting portion of the fence post is configured to contact and abut the rail such that the front surface of the rail and the front surface of the fence post are generally aligned, and the rear surface of the rail and the rear surface of the fence post are generally aligned. Desirably, the fence system also includes fence boards attached to the front and/or rear sides of the rail. Advantageously, the fence boards may conceal the fence posts.
Yet another aspect of the present invention is an elongated fence post including a first flange including a plurality of openings, a second flange including a plurality of openings, and a center section connecting the first flange and the second flange. The center section of elongated fence post preferably includes a first side, a second side, and a back side. Preferably, one or more clips including a body section and a foot section are releasably attached to the fence post. In particular, the foot section of the clip is configured to be attached to one or more openings in the flanges and the body section is configured to be attached to various fence components such as a top clip which attaches a top cap or board to the top of the fence; an end clip which attaches a fence board or end cap to an end of the fence; or a comer clip which attaches a fence rail to the fence post.
In another aspect of the invention, an elongated fence post having a narrow U-shaped channel joining a pair of side flanges has side walls having a depth at least as great as the thickness of a standard 2xc3x974. The space between the side walls is less than half that of the depth of the side walls, is preferably less than one third the depth of the side walls, and is more preferably at least one quarter the depth of the side walls. Such narrow U-shaped construction permits the use of thinner, less costly metal fenceposts that yet withstand an industry standard wind load to which a fence may be subjected. Such construction also hides the fenceposts front side behind boards attached to the flanges and minimizes its appearance on the back side even if it protrudes beyond the rails which are positioned with their ends adjacent the sides of the center U-shaped portion.
A further aspect of the present invention is a method of constructing the fence. The fence post inserted into the ground includes a front surface, a rear surface, a first side, a second side and a connecting portion interconnecting the sides. One or more fence rails are placed on either side of the fence post so that the front surfaces of the fence rails are generally aligned with the front surface of the post and the rear surfaces of the fence rails are generally aligned with the rear surface of the post. The fence rails are then attached to the fence post. If the post protrudes from the rear surface, it can be covered by a wooden channel
Advantageously, the metal fence post of the present invention allows the fence to be constructed in a variety of configurations. For example, the same fence post can be used as a line, comer or end post. Thus, the fence post of the present invention is very versatile. Additionally, the fence post can be used with the fence boards in a variety of different combinations to create different appearances or the desired aesthetics. Thus, the fence post disclosed herein has a wide variety of uses and applications.